Don Peat, Toronto Sun

Ford issued a statement early Thursday - just a few hours after the Toronto Sun story on the Cherry Beach sports fields washrooms was published.

"This is simply the latest example in a pattern of blatant disregard for taxpayers’ money at Waterfront Toronto," Ford stated in a press release issued by the mayor's office.

As the Sun reported exclusively late Wednesday, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong objected to Waterfront Toronto spending $600,000 — including $175,000 just on design work — for a washroom facility at the sports fields in the Port Lands.

Waterfront Toronto maintains the cost is justified given the engineering work that needed to be done before the washrooms were built on the remediated land. Because there is no sewer line along Unwin Ave., the facility also includes a "very large sanitary holding tank" to accommodate heavy usage during tournaments at the fields.

In his statement, Ford called the spending - which occurred during his term of office - a "waste" of taxpayers' money.